NEW LOOK FOR RETOOLED YELLOWTAIL TOURNAMENT

Dates, species change for historical event

For 28 years, the historic and storied Yellowtail Derby was held from late March until August, but by the end, anglers were more interested in tuna than yellowtail.

John Campbell, a representative of the International Game Fish Association, restarted the tournament four years ago and changed the dates to May 5 to June 10. Instead of just yellowtail, he opened it up to white sea bass and yellowfin for the first three years, but now has replaced yellowfin with albacore. He said this year’s Yellowtail Derby will offer $30,000 in prizes, with some of the proceeds to benefit the IGFA’s Junior Fishing Program and the Coast Guard Foundation, two worthy recipients.

Warden union update

Sonke Mastrup, executive director of the California Fish and Game Commission, sent a letter to Gov. Brown and the full legislature requesting they support SB1358. The bill will allow California Fish and Game wardens to move into a union composed solely of sworn peace officers.

Wrote Mastrup: “So long as California’s Fish and Game Wardens are in a bargaining unit where the majority of members are non-sworn civilian employees, it will be impossible to increase the number of wardens to where they can effectively protect California’s priceless natural resources.”

El Capitan ready

Angler Mark Stahl reports bass fishing is about to explode at El Capitan Reservoir. Stahl commented on the U-T Fishing Report on Facebook this week, saying he fished El Cap last week and caught and released 15 bass between 1 and 3 pounds. He said males are lurking in the shallows, from 5 to 15 feet of water, getting nests ready for the bigger, female bass. He walked the shoreline and casted night crawlers with no weight. “The water is the clearest I’ve ever seen for El Cap,” Stahl said. “Crappie should be getting ready to spawn soon, usually the third week in March.”

Turkey season

The junior hunting season for turkeys is March 17-18, a half-hour before sunrise to 4 p.m. both days. The general season opens March 24.

Banded duck

Steve Turigliatto, a San Diego Fish and Game Commissioner, spotted a banded duck in a pond while he was visiting his parents in Cypress. He lured the drake mallard toward him by tossing some bread and was able to photograph the duck’s band. He sent the band information in and received a detailed report on the duck. “This guy is a long way from home,” Turigliatto wrote. Turns out the duck was banded in 2009 in North Dakota at the J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge in Bottineau County.

Hybrid bass?

Doug Kern, manager and part owner of the Fisherman’s Landing Tackle Shop, shared a photo of a bass he caught with veteran dock reporter Bill Roecker of
fishingvideos.com. Kern said he has caught similar fish before and has no scientific data on them, but the bass has the bars of a barred sand bass and a couple of checker squares from a calico bass.